Page 25 of Fatal Mistake
Movement in the ditch across the road caught his eye, and he came to a skidding stop to take cover behind a tree. An arm, a hand, small and graceful, reached up to the shoulder of the road.
Tara? Could she be alive?
Cal found a path to the road, scanned the area, and bolted toward her.
A gunshot rang out.
He dove for the ditch, the bullet whizzing overhead. He rolled to his side, lifted his handgun, and aimed at the tree where the shot had originated. He fired off a few rounds to lay down cover, allowing him to move forward. He crawled ahead—frantic, quick movements. He saw hiking boots, and Tara’s yellow cat socks, but she lay motionless as in death.
He scrambled forward. “Tara?”
No answer.
He continued clawing at the ground and moving on his elbows. All of the drills he’d learned as a SEAL became more important than he’d ever known. He reached ahead and shook her foot.
No response.
Please, God. Let her be alive.
He shimmied up next to her and took her wrist to check her pulse.
She stirred. Turned to look at him. “Agent Riggins, thank goodness! I think there was a bomb. In the truck.”
A rifle shot split the air, the bullet piercing the ground inches from her head. She recoiled. He pushed to his arms and covered her body, shifting to access his microphone.
Tara struggled to get out from under him.
Right. She didn’t trust him. Even here. She considered him the enemy when he only wanted to keep her safe. His anger boiled up.
“Don’t move, for Pete’s sake,” he snapped. “My team is nearly in place, and we need to wait for them before we can get out of here. And for the last time, call me Cal.”
She didn’t respond. It could be because her ears were ringing from the explosion or she didn’t want to speak. Right now it didn’t matter.
Static played over his earbud, and he pressed his finger over it until it quieted. He activated his mic. “Alpha Two, report.”
“We have you on GPS.” Brynn’s voice came in loud and clear, and Cal detected a note of relief in her voice. “We’re a mile due south and exiting the vehicles now. I’ve got County holding the perimeter.”
Perfect. The last thing he needed was an inexperienced deputy racing in and trying to be a hero. “Bring my vest and long gun, and you better make this the fastest mile you’ve ever covered in full gear.”
“I thought you were wearing a vest,” Tara cried out. “You need to move to safety. Without a vest he could kill you.”
He ignored her panic and settled in to wait for his team. “If it keeps you safe, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
* * *
A high, tinny wail sounded through Tara’s head, and she couldn’t breathe. Terror raced along her nerves, and she didn’t feel safe. Not even with the heavy weight of Agent Riggins’s body protecting her from gunfire. No, not Agent Riggins any longer. She’d call him Cal from now on as he’d asked. If a man would take a bullet for her, they should certainly be on a first-name basis.
The shooting stopped, and she became more aware of him. He felt like a big old security blanket gently cradling her body, his back exposed to a bullet if the shooter started firing again. His life was on the line. A man who sacrificed himself for her, no matter her arguments, which had been many. He’d even brought in his team to help. Or did he have other motives?
A bad feeling settled in her stomach. She wiggled around and craned her neck to look up at him. To read his eyes. “Did you plan this? Set me up as bait to bring Oren out here so your team could arrest him?”
“No, of course, not,” he said, and she struggled to hear him through the ringing. “The team is here because I wanted to be prepared in case Keeler followed you again. As it stands, I’m glad I did.”
Eyes the color of dark coffee riveted to her with an intensity that gave her a glimpse into his world. A world where he’d been a Navy SEAL. The focus and strength he had, the change of his suit to tactical gear, and the corded muscles of his forearm as he clutched his gun all said he was fierce and dangerous. A guy with combat skills she couldn’t even begin to imagine.
He pressed his finger against his chest.
“Roger that.” He gave her a terse smile. “We’re cleared for exfil.”
